Ephesians 6:4 says, “The fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.” Colossians 3:21 says, “The fathers, do not provoke your children that they may not be disheartened.” Provoking to anger damages the children by stirring up their flesh. It is always destructive for parents to be angry with their children. Not provoking the children’s anger requires the father’s anger to be dealt with by remaining under the cross. The only way we can keep from losing our temper is to stay on the cross. In dealing with your children’s wrongdoings or misbehavior, you must first go to the cross and stay there. Otherwise, you will lose your temper, and this loss of temper will provoke your children’s anger.
Instead of provoking the children to anger, the fathers are to nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. To nurture children means to bring them up, to raise them, by nourishing them. Raising children requires that the parents give them the needed instruction related to human life, family life, and social life. The word “admonition” here includes instruction. Paul was probably referring to the Old Testament requirement that parents instruct their children with the word of God (Deut. 6:7). This means that we are to teach our children with the Bible. Along with this instruction, we sometimes must discipline them, chastise them. It is crucial that fathers learn to nurture the children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.
In Ephesians 6:5 Paul says, “The slaves, obey your masters according to flesh with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as to Christ.” In the apostle’s time, slaves were purchased by their masters, and the masters had the right over their lives. Some slaves and some masters became brothers in the church. As brothers in the church, they were equal. But in their homes those who were slaves still had to obey the brothers who were their masters according to flesh.
Paul exhorts the slaves to obey with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ. Fear is the inward motive, and trembling is the outward attitude. Singleness means to be pure in motive, with only a single purpose. The slaves are to be single; they are not to have a double purpose. That is, they are not to serve their masters with the intention of receiving some gain for themselves.
The slaves are to be in obedience to their masters as to Christ. This means that the slaves are to regard their masters as if they were the Lord. The relationship between slaves and masters is a type of our relationship with Christ, our Master. We should obey Him as a slave, in singleness of heart.
In verses 6 and 7 Paul goes on to say, “Not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the soul, with good will, serving as slaves, as to the Lord and not to men.” If a brother in slavery stands in his position and obeys his master, he is in the eyes of the Lord a slave of Christ, doing the will of God, and his service is as to the Lord and not to men. Such a slave is to do the will of God from the soul. The words “from the soul” here equal from the heart, from the inner being. This means to serve not only with the physical body but with the heart. The slaves were to serve “as to the Lord and not to men.” This indicates that Paul’s intention was to direct the slaves to the Lord. His desire was that they would learn to serve their masters as the Lord.
In Colossians 3:22 and 23 Paul gives a charge to the slaves very similar to that in Ephesians 6:5-7. Then in verse 24 he says, “Knowing that from the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. You serve as a slave the Lord Christ.” There is an inheritance for the believers (Rom. 8:17; Acts 26:18; 1 Pet. 1:4). The reward of the inheritance indicates that the Lord uses the inheritance which He will give His believers as an incentive that they may be faithful in their service to Him. The unfaithful ones will surely miss this reward (Matt. 24:45-51; 25:20-29).
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